North Central Neighborhood

San Mateo Talks Housing…

Come join us to talk and listen to each other about housing. Help us reach as many people as possible in San Mateo, especially those who have not been part of housing conversations in the past. Families welcome, childcare available.

Share your thoughts on: How housing is affecting you and those you care about? What types of housing options do you think will help our community thrive?

Saturday, April 27th, 2019 from 9:30-11:30AM
San Mateo High School Multi-Purpose Room
506 N Delaware St, San Mateo

Doors open at 9AM for light breakfast! Please RSVP: housing@cityofsanmateo.org

Sign up for the 5K for Student Health & Mental Wellness

San Mateo Police Activities League is hosting a 5k Run/Walk on May 11th at 9am at Coyote Point Park through Stride for Awareness to raise awareness for student health and mental wellness.

With the goal of creating a safe society while promoting the physical, social and mental well-being of our youth, SMPAL and SFA brings you this 5k Run/Walk to promote the importance of Student Health and Mental Wellness; Healthy Mind, Body and Community.

Open to ALL Runners and Walkers of all levels.

Online Registration closes on May 8th at midnight. Walk-in registration available on the day of the event (Check or Cash).

Apply to the San Mateo County Youth Commission

The San Mateo County Youth Commission is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 term! Application deadline is May 24.

The Youth Commission offers young people the opportunity to give their perspective on important issues facing their community and work directly with the Board of Supervisors offices and County departments to address the needs of all youth in the county. Applicants need to be local residents between the ages of 13 and 20.

Commissioners engage in policy analysis and recommendations, skill building, leadership development, event planning, and more.

I’ve attached a copy of the flyer and included links to the application. (English: bit.ly/APPLY_SMCYC or Spanish http://bit.ly/SMCYC2019ESP)

Please share this opportunity with youth you may work with and with your networks. if you have any questions or if you know of a prospect youth who may need support with the application, please contact Adam Wilson, awilson@yli.org.

Thank you for showing your love for North Central!

🤟🏿Gracias, 🙌🏽 Thank you, 謝謝 👏🏽 for all the love today! We couldn’t have done it without all of you! 🌞🌷

Here’s the link to our photo album – keep checking for updates!

#BasuraChallenge, #TrashChallenge on Sat. April 13th!

All around the world people are cleaning up their neighborhoods, and the #TrashChallenge/#BasuraChallenge is coming to San Mateo!

Saturday, April 13th, 2019 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM @
CalWater N. Claremont Parking Lot (341 N Delaware St, San Mateo)
*** Registration opens at 9AM with coffee and donuts.***
RSVP Online: https://hancsm.wordpress.com/love/

2018 Love North Central Cleanup COLLAGE copy 2.jpg

Please join us for the 2nd Annual Love North Central Neighborhood Cleanup Day. There will be music, BBQ lunch and prizes! This is a community service event for your entire family – all ages and abilities welcome. Wear comfortable shoes and come ready to work hard and have fun!

Thank you to San Mateo County Office of Sustainability, ACE/HASSETT Hardware, Mi Rancho Market, El Video Loco and West Valley Construction for showing North Central love by sponsoring our 2019 cleanup event. Also thank you to the City of San Mateo and to CalWater for their support, we couldn’t do it without their partnership!

Together we can do anything so please bring your friends, family and neighbors! Remember to RSVP in advance so we can get a headcount for lunch: https://hancsm.wordpress.com/love/

Apply to Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission

Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission – Apply by Friday, April 12, 2019 @ 5:00 p.m.

Community involvement in local government plays an important and active role in the City of
San Mateo. The City Council seeks participation from its diversely skilled citizens and
encourages all who are interested to apply for a position on the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission:

1 seat available
Interviews tentatively scheduled for the week of 4/15/2019
The selection will be finalized at the 5/6/2019 City Council Meeting

Q&A on MidPen Downtown Opportunity Site

On March 7th, MidPen and City Staff met with the community to discuss the affordable housing project located at 480 E. 4th Ave. and 400 E. 5th Ave. to provide a description of proposed project to obtain feedback and answer questions or concerns.

Download presentation slides: https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/3964/PA18-077-480-E-4th-Avenue-400-E-5th-Aven

Mollie Naber, Project Manager, lead the presentation on the proposed development. The project proposes 164 affordable apartments in a five-story residential building and a minimum of 699 parking spaces in a five- story parking structure. The plans also include a public plaza at the residential site and a community serving space at the ground floor of the parking structure. The proposed unit mix for the residential building is 9 studios, 70 one- bedroom units, 46 two-bedroom units and 39 three-bedroom units. The rents will target low and moderate income families, defined as those earning between 30-120% Area Median Income (AMI) for the County of San Mateo.

Excerpt of COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, AND ANSWER SESSION:

Neighbor 1:
Expressed support for the project and opinion on public art: I am pleased to see this development come online. The design is very thoughtful. I would like to see the art and either the green wall or metal structure as a façade element on the parking structure.

Question about public plaza:
Q: Would the lack of sunlight significantly impact the ability to put in greenery at the western public plaza location?
A: A public plaza on the western corner of the residential site would be in the shade.
A: The design plans are early, so if the community wants the public plaza on the western corner near Claremont, instead of on the eastern corner near the railroad tracks, we can work with the landscape architect to make it work.

Neighbor 2:
Question about rents:
Q: I’m unsure how the rents work and how incomes work
A: Rents are based on the household income. Half of the units are for lower income households earning between 30-60% AMI; half of the units will target moderate income households earning 80-120% AMI.
Q: Is there a list where you sign up?
A: We will open up the application interest list several months before we complete construction.
A: Normally there is a 2-3 week application period during which we accept applications, then we conduct a lottery. The preference for families living or working in the City of San Mateo will then be applied: if you quality for the preference, you float to the top. From there, we make our way down the list.

Download Meeting Minutes Summary Download

#TrashChallenge #BasuraChallenge

All around the world folks are picking up trash for the #TrashChallenge #BasuraChallenge – people are saying it’s the most successful global cleanup on social media!

The #TrashChallenge is coming to our North Central neighborhood! Join us for the LARGEST neighborhood cleanup in the City of San Mateo. There will be music, BBQ lunch and prizes – all ages and abilities welcome.

Love North Central Neighborhood Cleanup
Saturday, April 13th, 2019 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
CalWater N. Claremont Parking Lot
341 N Delaware St, San Mateo

Standing for Love in North Central

North Central is the oldest neighborhood in the City of San Mateo, and by far the most ethnically diverse area in San Mateo with many waves of immigrants from Portugal, Japan, Italy, China, and Central America. Our community is a historical treasure. We are home to the multiple schools, businesses, and one of the oldest African American churches as well as 15+ places of worship of all different faiths.

Just days after we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, the world grieves news about the terror attack in New Zealand, and the 50 mass shootings in the U.S. that occurred in just the first two months of 2019 [1]. In these moments, it’s important to reaffirm our mission and values.

HANCSM is a volunteer-run neighborhood association for all of us – including North Central home-owners, renters, property and business owners.
Our mission is to build an informed, engaged and connected community in North Central. We work together to advocate on behalf of our North Central neighbors to create a safe, healthy and vibrant community.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Community Center opened almost one year following the assassination of Dr. King, and the story of how the Center got its name is quite remarkable. It was an important moment in our history when community voices prevailed, affirming the teachings of Dr. King.

For me, the King Center is a real symbol of our City’s values of diversity, inclusion and equality. I’ll never forget the time I wandered in and was greeted by former director, Angela Miller. She was the first to really welcome me to the neighborhood, she said, “This is the King Center, your community center. We’re here for you.” She was the first face of the City and the bridge to all the resources and activities that my family enjoys. Like many in the neighborhood, my kids learned to swim at the pool and go to summer camp there. It’s where HANCSM organized the Love North Central neighborhood cleanup campaign, it’s where my neighbor gets his flu shot, and my niece attends preschool, where we celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Black History Month. The King Center is our place to gather, play and learn together, and we are so much stronger for it.

The 50th celebration marked the ways that Dr. King’s legacy continues to shape our lives in North Central. Dr. King taught us that the most powerful response to hate and violence is to stand up for love by channeling positivity into our own community. On Saturday, April 13th hundreds of neighbors will come together to clean up our streets for the Love North Central Cleanup Day. This is a day to show your love for North Central through an act of service. Please join us, RSVP: https://hancsm.wordpress.com/love

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Amourence Lee has lived in North Central in a fixer-upper with her husband, 2 kids, chicken, cat, lizard and snake since 2010. She joined the HANCSM board three years ago and spearheaded the Love North Central campaign. Amourence also serves on the City Parks & Recreation Commission and General Plan Update Subcommittee.

FREE help preparing your tax returns!

It’s Tax Season and Tax-Aid is offering FREE help preparing your tax returns!

Volunteers with Tax Aid will be providing help preparing federal and California tax returns for families and individuals with incomes less than $55,000. Assistance will be available at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, 725 Monte Diablo Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following Saturdays: March 16, and April 6.

Participants are asked to bring related documents including social security cards or taxpayer identification numbers; health insurance statement forms; W-2s, 1099 or 1098 forms; childcare provider information and last year’s tax return if available.

Please visit https://tax-aid.org/ for more information.